Drafting mechanism for spinning and roving frames



Sept. 14, 1943. B, c. SHAW 9,

DRAF'IING MECHANISM FOR SPIILININIG AND ROVING FRAMES Filed Feb. 17,1941 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 14, 1943. B. c. SHAW 2,329,655

DRAFTING MECHANISM FOR SPINNING AND ROVING FRAMES Filed Feb. 1'7, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet 2 -v/gvfgnim I I I HAS/4T7 Rf):

Patented Sept. 14, 1943 DRAFTING MECHANISM FOR SPINNING AND ROVIN GFRAMES Benjamin C. Shaw, Saco, Maine, assignor to Sacc- Lowell Shops,Boston, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application February 17, 1941,Serial No. 379,202

14 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanisms for drafting cotton and otherfibrous materials and is more especially concerned with mechanisms ofthis type used in roving and spinning frames.

In my pending application Ser. No. 213,368, filed June 13, 1938, I haveshown and described a drafting mechanism which has proved especiallysatisfactory in machines of the types just mentioned. The presentinvention aims further to improve mechanisms of this character with aview to reducing the care and attention which they require, making themmore convenient for the operators to work on and to keep clean,facilitating the making of adjustments required for different lengths ofstaple, devising a better weighting means, and generally improving andperfecting such mechanisms. It is contemplated that some features of theinvention may be used in drafting mechanisms of a different type fromthat shown in my application above referred to.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of those portions of a drawing mechanism forspinning and roving frames with which this invention is more especiallyconcerned and illustrates features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a roll stand and parts associatedtherewith for supporting and guiding the drafting elements;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view approximately on the line HIIII, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the mechanism at one side of theroll stand with some parts omitted;

Fig. 5 is a vertical, sectional View approximately on the line VV, Fig.1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, sectional view through a cap bar and portionsof the middle top rolls associated with it;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an end portion of an apron bar; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical, sectional view through a portion of a roll standshowing the manner in which the end of an apron bar is supported in it.

Referring first to Fig. 4, the mechanism there shown comprises threesets of drawing devices arranged to act successively on a cotton sliver.In this particular embodiment of the invention these devices include afront pair of upper and lower drawing rolls 2 and 3, respectively, anintermediate pair 6 and 5, and a rear pair 6 and l. Interposed betweenthe two middle rolls is a belt or apron i0 driven by the lower roll 5and arranged to run over a guide or apron bar i2, a pulley or idler l3applying the necessary tension to the apron to hold it taut.

So far as the features just enumerated are concerned, the constructionis like that shown and described in my pending application abovereferred to, and reference may be had to that application for a moredetailed description of the mechanism and such factors as roll spacing,typical drafts between successive pairs of rolls, and the like.

The lower rolls 3, 5 and l are positively driven, as is customary inmechanisms of this kind, and they usually consist of fluted or knurledsteel rolls. At suitable intervals theyare supported in roll stands, oneof which is shown at M in Figs. 2 and 4. Each such stand has a groove l5to receive the reduced journal portions of the front roll and isprovided with a guideway adjustably supporting two bearing blocks l6 andi7 having sockets in which the journal portions of the middle and rearbottom rolls 5 and l, respectively, are mounted. The mechanism'forsecuring these blocks in their adjusted position is best shown in Fig.3.

The upper rolls rest on their respective lower rolls, and the two frontand rear rolls, in most instances, are held in cooperative relationshipto their respective lower rolls by guides l8 and 20, Figs. 1, 2 and 4,adjustably mounted on cap bars 2i. At the roll stands a somewhatdifferent type of cap bar is used for supporting these rolls, as shownat 2| Fig. 1, but it includes slotted members I8 and 20' similar to theguides I8 and 29 on the cap bars, all of these guiding memberscooperating to engage the reduced gudgeons projecting from the oppositeends of the top rolls and supporting them against any substantialforward or backward movement out of contact with their respective lowerrolls. The middle roll is not so supported by the cap bars but it issupported for backward and forward movement on horizontal guides orsteps 22 formed on the cap bars.

It has been customary to provide cap bars for holding the top rolls incooperative relationship to their respective bottom rolls, but these capbars have been supported heretofore on a rod located at the back of thedrawing mechanism and extending longitudinally of the machine. Thepresent invention departs radically from this practice inthat the capbars 2| are mounted on the upper edge of the apron bar l2, and they aresupported solely by this bar. This construction is simpler than theprior art arrangements and it leaves more free space at the back of theframe where room is highly desirable to facilitate the cleaningoperations and to give more room for the roving supply. When operatingon rayon fibers, or mixtures of rayon and cotton, this feature isespecially valuable.

The main body of the cap bar may conveniently consist of a die castingand it is provided with a stem or pin projecting forwardly therefrom andsupporting the guide I8. At its rearward end it has a socket to receivea short rod or pin 23, Fig. 3, which is adjustably secured in said bodyby a set screw, the guide 20 also being similarly fastened on the pin.Each cap bar 2| is secured to the apron bar by a screw 24, and the capbars 2i are similarly secured to the roll stands by a screw 24'. Thelatter cap bars have the same provision for adjustably supporting theirrear guides 20 as do the cap bars 2i,

In assembling a, spinning or roving frame the cap bars 2| may be mountedon their respective apron bars and thereafter these bars may beinstalled in the machine by sliding their reduced ends l2, Fig. '7, intoslots a, Figs. 2 and 4, in the roll stands l4. They are prevented frombeing accidentally lifted out of these slots by the fact that portionsof each cap bar 2! overlie both 30 end sections of the apron barpositioned in its respective stand.

When it is desired to take out the apron bar, the cap bars are firstremoved, after which the apron bar with its set of cap bars secured toit are simply lifted out of the slots a. If, however, the lower middleroll happens to be set close to the bar, such removal would be preventedwithout first moving the lower roll back. This fact will be evident froman inspection of. Fig. ti. Since the movement of the latter roll isaccomplished only with considerable difficulty, the ends of the apronbar have been reduced and curved, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, so that asthis bar is lifted it may be rocked in such a manner as to swing itaround the lower roll and thus clear said roll. It may be replaced by areversal of these operations.

The lower rolls 5 and i must be adjusted backward and forward from ortoward the front roll 50 to suit the requirements of different kinds andgrades of fibers. When such adjustments are made in prior art machinesit has also been necessary to adjust the cooperating top rolls. Thisoperation requires the expenditure of much time and involves aconsiderable degree of skill. The present invention reduces materiallyboth the time and skill so required by providing an arrangement suchthat the middle top roll autommatically adjusts itself to maintain itsrelationship to its cooperating bottom roll substantially undisturbed bychanges in the position of the latter.

For this purpose the middle top roll 4 is provided at each end withgudgeons, one of which is shown at 25, Fig. 6, to receive bearing rollsor disks 26 which run, respectively, on the horizontal steps 22previously referred to. As shown in Fig. 4, the upper surface of theapron bar I2 is fiat and lies in substantially a horizontal plane. Also,the upper surface of the steps or guides 22 are substantially horizontaland are spaced slightly above the surface of the bar 12. Consequently,as the lower roll 5 is adjusted backward or forward, its cooperatingupper roll 4 moves with it, the bearing disks 26 simply rolling on thesurfaces of the steps which support them and the upper roll, but thespacing of the roll 4 from the upper surface of the apron bar remainingcon- 5 stant. This is important in maintaining substantially constantthe relationship between the apron l0 and the top roll 4 in the regionwhere these two members release the fibers gripped between them as suchfibers are drawn forward by the front rolls 2 and 3.

Cooperating with the bearing rolls or disks 28 and steps 22 inmaintaining the relationship Just described, is a weighting mechanismbest shown in Fig. 5. It comprises a saddle 21, the forward end of whichis curved to hook over the neck of the middle roll 4, while its rearwardend portion extends across and ride on the neck of the rear roll 6.Between these rolls the saddle is bent downwardly to a positionconsiderably below a line connecting the bearing points of the saddle onthe two rolls 4 and 6, and a mechanism is connected wtih this depressedor U-shaped portion of the saddle to apply weight to it. As shown, thismechanism comprises a stirrup 28 pivotally connected to one end of afloating lever 30 and a weighted lever 3| connected to said lever by alink 33'. A second stirrup 33 having an upper end portion hooked overthe neck of the front roll 2 is pivoted to the forward end of thefloating lever 30 so that the pressure applied through the weightedlever IN i distributed in a predetermined manner to the various toprolls.

It will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 5 that this weightingarrangement exerts a down- 3 ward and rearward pull on the middle toproll 4 in a direction tending to hold it constantly, in contact with itscooperating lower roll 5. Also, that this action is not disturbed ormaterially modified by any adjustment of the lower roll toward or fromthe front roll 3. As the spacing of the rear rolls from the middle rollsis increased, the top rear roll simply slides farther out under the tailportion of the saddle.' Preferably this tail portion is curved, somewhatas 4r shown in Fig. 5, to compensate for the change in direction of pullof the rear stirrup when the spacing of the rear roll relatively to themiddle rolls is materially increased.

This saddle may conveniently be made from a heavy wire or small rod ofcircular cross-section, and in order to maintain it in a fixed positionbetween the bosses of the top rolls the necks of the latter are groovedcircumferentially as -shown in Fig. 1. Preferably the groove is deepenedat the middle so as to receive and hold a small quantity of oil or otherlubricant. A slightly different construction is shown in Fig. 6 in whichthe groove 34 is positioned between and raised above two oil grooves,the latter being flanked by circular flanges serving to prevent the oilfrom working on to the fiber engaging surfaces of the roll. In bothcases, the contact of the saddle with the necks of these rolls permitsthe saddle to swing laterally, and the downward pull of the stirrup 28on the depressed portion of the saddle, acting at a level below that ofthe bearing points of the saddle, holds the saddle automatically in thegrooves of the necks of the rolls. The forward edge of the bar I2 isslotted at suitable intervals, as shown at 35, Figs. 2 and 5, to

accommodate the stirrup 33.

It will be evident from the foregoing that such a construction as thatabove described is exceptionally easy to clean considering the fact thateach drafting unit includes an apron; that the matter of making thenecessary adjustments has been facilitated, and that hand adjustment ofthe middle top roll has been eliminated, the adjustment of this elementbeing automatic. Since the spacing of the middle top roll from the upperfiat face of the bar 42 over which the apron travels immediately afterpassing out of contact with the roll is fixed by the engagement of thebearing rolls 26 with their steps 22, such spacing is not disturbed bychanges in the spacing of the bottom middle roll from the front roll.This arrangement is useful in some drafting mechanisms which do notinclude an apron.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied inother forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is: a

1. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of a plurality of pairs of upper and lower drafting rollsarranged one in advance of another to feed and draw a cotton sliver, orthe like, means supporting said lower rolls in spaced relationship toeach other, cap bars holding certain of said upper rolls in cooperativerelationship to their respective lower rolls, and supports for said capbars engaging them at points between the front and rear rolls.

2. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of a plurality of pairs of upper'and lower drafting rollsarranged one in advance of another to feed and draw a cotton sliver, orthe like, means supporting said lower rolls in spaced relationship toeach other, cap bars holding certain of said upper rolls in cooperativerelationship to their respective lower rolls, and means engaging saidcap bars at intermediate points in their lengths and supporting them intheir operative positions.

3. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of a plurality of pairs of upper and lower drafting rollsarranged one in advance of another to feed and draw a cotton sliver, orthe like, means supporting said lower rolls in spaced relationship toeach other, cap bars holding certain of said upper rolls in cooperativerelationship to their respective lower rolls, and a bar extending in agenerally parallel direction to the bottom rolls and located between thefront and rear bottom rolls for supporting said cap bars.

4. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of a plurality of pairs of upper and lowerdrafting rollsarranged one in advance of another to feed and draw a cotton sliver, Orthe like, roll stands supporting said lower rolls in operativerelationship to each other, and means supporting said upper rolls incooperative relationship to their respective lower rolls including capbars and a bar supported in said roll stands between the lower rolls,the latter bar supporting said cap bars.

5. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of a pair of upper and lower rolls arranged to grip and feeda sliver between them, a second pair of upper and lower rolls behind thefirst pair and between which said sliver is fed on its way to the frontpair of said rolls, an apron interposed between said rear rolls, astationary bar supporting said apron and over which it is guided, andmeans supporting one or more of said upper rolls in cooperativrelationship to its respective lower roll, said means including cap barsmounted on said apron bar.

' 6. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of a pair of upper and lower rolls arranged to grip and feeda siivr' between them, a second pair of upper and lower rolls behind thefirst pair and between which said sliver is fed on its way to the frontpair of said rolls, an apron running over the lower of said rear rolls,an apron bar positioned between said lower rolls, said apron runningover said bar and said upper rear roll bearing on said apron betweensaid bar and said lower rear roll and depressing the apron, said barhaving an upper rounded edge portion positioned in the space betweensaid lower front roll and said upper rear roll, said edge beingseparated from said upper .rear roll by a maximum distance only slightlygreater than the thickness of said apron, weightingmeans for pressingsaid upper rear roll toward its coop erating lower roll to pinch theapron between them, and means supporting said upper rear roll forbackward and forward rolling adjustment to maintain automatically asubstantially constant relationship to its cooperating lower rollnotwithstanding changes in the spacing of the latter roll relatively tosaid front lower roll.

7. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of a pair of upper and lower rolls arranged to grip and feeda sliver between them, a second pair of upper and lower rolls behind thefirst pair and between which said sliver is fed on its way to the frontpair of said rolls, an apron running over the lower of said rear rolls,an apron bar positioned between said lower rolls, said apron runningover said bar and said upper rear roll bearing on said apron betweensaid bar and said lower rear roll and depressing the apron, stationaryapproximately horizontal guides supporting said upper rear roll forautomatic rolling adjustment backward and forward with its lower roll,and weighting mechanism acting on said upper rear roll in a directiontending to maintain it continuously in engagement with its lower roll.

8. In a drafting mechanism according to preceding claim 7, aconstruction including cap bars for holding the upper front roll incooperative relationship to its respective lower roll, said stationaryguides for the upper rear roll being carried by the cap bars.

9. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of a pair of upper and lower rolls arranged to grip and feeda sliver between them,- a second pair of upper and lower rolls behindthe first pair and between which said sliver is fed on its way to thefront pair of said rolls, a bar lying between and extending parallel tosaid lower rolls, and guides supported by said bar and on which saidrear 'top roll is mounted for rolling movement backward and forward.

10. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of a pair of upper and lower rolls arranged to grip and feeda sliver between them, a second pair of upper and lower rolls behind thefirst pair and between which said sliver is fed on its way to the frontpair of said ing movement backward and forward.

11. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of a pair of upper and lower rolls arranged to grip and feeda silver between them, a second pair of upper and lower rolls behind thefirst pair and between which said sliver is fed on its way to the frontpair of said rolls, said upper rear roll having gudgeons pro- Jectlngfrom opposite ends thereof, bearing rolls encircling said gudgeons,stationary guides on which said bearing rolls rest, said guides and saidbearing rolls supporting said upper roll for rolling movement backwardand forward, and weighting means acting on said upper rear roll in adirection tending to hold it constantly in contact with its respectivelower roll.

12. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of a pair of upper 15 and depressing the apron, and guidingmeans for 2 said upper rear roll holding it spaced by a minimum distancefrom said apron bar in the region adjacent to the forward edge thereofbut supporting the latter roll for movement backward and forwardautomatically to maintain its relation to its cooperating lower rollsubstantially unaffected by forward and rearward adjustments of thelatter roll.

13. In a drafting mechanism according to preceding claim 7, weightingmechanism for said upper rear roll acting on it in a direction to urgeit constantly backwardly and downwardly into contact with itscooperating lower roll.

14. In a mechanism for drafting cotton sliver and the like, thecombination of three pairs of upper and lower drafting rolls arrangedone in advance of another to feed and draw cotton sliver or the like,means supporting said lower rolls in spaced relationship to each other,cap bars holding said front and rear upper rolls in cooperativerelationship to their respective lower rolls, supports for said cap barsengaging them at points between the front and rear rolls, guidingelements supporting said middle upper roll for rolling movement backwardand forward, and means acting on said middle upper roll to hold itconstantly in cooperative relationship to its respective lower rollnotwithstanding changes in the adjustment of the latter roll.

BENJAMIN C. SHAW.

